Rise to Evil
by Ronaan
Summary: Before Malefor became the Dark Master, he was not very unlike Spyro. This is the story of his rise to Evil, and the events that drove him down the Dark road.
1. Prologue

**_A murmur of excitement is in the air. The dragons have assembled, as the newly hatched dragons have emerged from the protecting shell of their eggs to explore the world. Every single creature knows, hope, and believe that these hatchlings will bring greatness upon the world._**

It is the year of the Dragon, and a new generation of hatchlings has just seen the light of day for the first time. The elder dragons, the ancestors as they will be called in the far future, are proud to greet them, and even though the hatchlings can neither understand nor speak yet, they know that they are destined for greatness.

"The celestial moons has smiled upon us this generation." the eldest dragon says with a content but tired voice. "I sense a change in the embers of the world. A flame that one day will shine as bright as the sun, if not even brighter."

"I sense it too, but not in the flames nor the embers. I sense it in the earth, and hear the trees whisper of it."

"I heard the thunder as the eggs hatched, and felt the surge of power. There is something remarkable about these currents, and I too sense the greatness of this generation."

"As they hatched, I smelled the scent of freshly fallen snow, and heard the comforting cracks of swelling ice. If the things you have said is true, then we truly have a generation that might change the cause of history for the better of the world."

"May the signs be correctly perceived." says the eldest dragon, with hope in her voice. "Let their paths be clear, and their future as bright as the stars."

"Let their hearts be as light and pure as the freshly fallen snow."

"May their will be as unmovable as the mountains."

"And their reflexes as fast as lightning."

"It will be our duty to guide them. To help them reach their greatness."

"May we succeed in this task, and not let the Dark consume you."


	2. Chapter 1: Different

_**Note:**_

 _ **I've spent some time reading about the lore of "The Legend of Spyro" and felt that the story of Malefor's rise needed some more details. Most of those who read this probably have a different story in their minds, and if you have any suggestions about what should happen to our young Dark Master, leave a comment or send me a PM. I have a beginning and an ending, but the content in between still have some blank pages to be filled.**_

 _ **/Ronaan**_

* * *

"Malefor, where are you?"

The voice is well-known to him, but he doesn't leave his hiding place. The others surpass him in everything, except when it comes to hiding. A game of hide and seek is no challenge at all, and the only time he can actually feel like as if he belong among them.

From the day he was born, he's always been different in comparison with the others. He's not a fire, ice, earth nor electric dragon. He's something else entirely. A purple dragonwhelpling, with no elemental powers at all. His name is frightening to those who don't know him, but he's not at all who the name suggest he should be. Malevolent is the very last thing compatible with his personality. He'd never wish harm upon anyone, except upon those who'd hurt him or his friends. He is strong for his young age, and kind-hearted. Even without any elemental powers, the Elder Dragons believe he's destined for greatness, and they spend at least two hours daily trying to awaken some kind of power within him. A new element, perhaps. An element none of them has ever heard of or experienced before. They hope and wish for it to be so, for they know Malefor feels like an outsider who don't belong in the temple. The Elders believe he do. No, they _know_ he does.

As the young dragoness draws closer, in company with seven other whelplings the same age as him and her, he decide to come out rather than letting them find him. There is a sense of pride within him, and he doesn't want to reveal his hiding-spot to them. He like it when they marvel at his skill. The sense of accomplishment he lack in almost every other aspect as a dragon.

"I'm right here!" he says, unable to keep the pride out of his voice.

"Good thing you're good at hiding, Mally." says one of the others. "You know what to do when there's a fight nearby!"

"Indeed I do." Malefor answer immediately, not wanting to let them know the joke actually hurt his feelings. It did, however. More than he admit, even to himself.

The others laugh, and together they return to the temple for training. The others have elemental training, which means Malefor tries in vain to feel anything at all stirring within him. Anything would do. Just something else than the regular beating of his heart. As usual, nothing stir.

"How are you doing, young dragon?"

It is the Eldest dragon, and the one most interested in his progress.

"I feel nothing." Malefor answer. "Nothing at all."

"Your powers will grow in time, Malefor." says the dragoness kindly. "Think about yourself as a flower. The one who blooms late, still bloom when the others wither. Your time will come, all you need is some patience."

"I don't want to be different." Malefor whispers, closing his eyes to conceal the burning sensation in his eyes. "I just... I want to be like everyone else."

"There's nothing wrong with being different." the Dragoness says. "The one who are like everyone else is not remembered as easily."

"I'm always remembered as the weakest." Malefor says this with badly concealed bitterness in his voice.

"But when the day comes when you find your powers, everyone will know about it."

"I suppose..." Malefor answer. He is still not convinced being different is a good thing at all.


	3. Chapter 2: Fever

The days pass, and still nothing stir within the young dragon when he search his feelings and clear his mind. He sense his beating heart and his own frustration. No powers. No elements. Just himself. Malefor, the powerless purple useless dragon, good for nothing else than hiding. The perfect character for a boring tale that no-one will ever read.

The elemental masters and the rest of the adult dragons watch him sink deeper down in despair. They wish they could help him, but they know they can't. A dragon without any elemental powers is not a dragon. It is just a winged lizard with the ability to speak. All they can do is watch, and hope against hope that he will find his call.

Malefor grow more and more desperate, and finally decide he have to try something new. Something that will trigger the element buried so deep within him he can barely feel its presence. He can't feel it yet, but he hope he one day will. One day in a not too distant future. Today, or maybe tomorrow would be a good day to discover it, he decide.

But maybe it is hiding from him the same way he himself hide from the others when they are playing hide and seek. They would never find him if he wouldn't show himself in the end, and a dragon's element is as much a part of him as his body. The nature of the element is always similar to the nature of the dragon wielding it, and the few who aren't are so few they are barely worth mentioning. Maybe his element is of the same principle. That he can only find it when he isn't searching for it.

He tries to put his mind elsewhere, but his theory make it almost impossible not to actively force himself not to think about it, and therefore thinking about it in the process. Patience is not his strongest trait.

As he wake up one day, he feel cold. Something is seriously wrong, and as the elder dragons tend to him they keep their silence I fear of what will come. Before Malefor, there has never been a dragon without an element. Some of them believe that the lack of elemental magic within Malefor will kill him, and that the sickness consuming him will be the young whelping's final hours.

The eldest dragon refuse to believe it. She has seen greatness in the Pool of Visions, clearly linked to the young dragon now shivering from the burning fever. If he dies, can she ever trust her visions again? Her visions have never failed her before, so why are they failing her now? And poor Malefor... Oh, how she wish she could do more than whisper soothing words as he moan in his fever dreams.

Words quickly spread throughout the dragon temple, and soon everyone is gathered around the presumably dying whelping. The eldest dragon tries to keep them at a distance, so not to stress him. The situation is bad enough, and she can feel the heat emerging from him even at this distance.

The heat...

She slowly turn around and finally manage to see clearly. The fever is not a sickness at all. It is the heat from glowing embers, deep within the young dragon, waiting to grow into a fire.

"Don't fight it, Malefor." she whisper. "Embrace it. Feel it. Release it."

Somehow, her urges seem to reach him through his struggle against his own nature. He draw a shuddering breath, and when he breathe out again, the air is hot. It is not yet blazing with flames, but she know that is just a matter of time as Malefor open his eyes in wonder. The confusion is slowly replaced with happiness, as he slowly realize what has at long last happened.

"Fire?" someone ask doubtfully. "But... he's not a fire-dragon!"

The eldest dragon know the truth in these words, and she too is filled with confusion and wonder. However, the knowledge that young Malefor isn't dying is the best of news she could ever wish for. And his mysterious connection to the element of fire might be the very reason why the Pool of Visions showed glimpses of his glorious future.


End file.
